Two Downcast Disciples and the Unrecognized Jesus
Daily Scripture
Luke 24:13-24
13 On that same day, two disciples were traveling to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking to each other about everything that had happened. 15 While they were discussing these things, Jesus himself arrived and joined them on their journey. 16 They were prevented from recognizing him.
17 He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk along?” They stopped, their faces downcast.
18 The one named Cleopas replied, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who is unaware of the things that have taken place there over the last few days?”
19 He said to them, “What things?”
They said to him, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth. Because of his powerful deeds and words, he was recognized by God and all the people as a prophet. 20 But our chief priests and our leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the one who would redeem Israel. All these things happened three days ago. 22 But there’s more: Some women from our group have left us stunned. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 and didn’t find his body. They came to us saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who told them he is alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women said. They didn’t see him.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Dig Deeper into the stories of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances with Resurrection’s two-week study “The Resurrection Stories (and What They Teach Us).” There are in-person study groups at all Resurrection locations on either Monday or Wednesday evenings, as well as an online version. Click here for Information and registration.
Luke’s research (Luke 1:3) found this unique resurrection story that was in no other gospel. Jesus, unrecognized, walked with two disciples discussing recent events. They felt disillusioned (‘we had hoped’—verse 21) and sad about the crucifixion. Some women had reported that Jesus’ body wasn’t in the tomb, but these two followers gave no sign they thought that meant Jesus was alive—just that it puzzled them.
- Scholar N. T. Wright noted something strange in the resurrection stories: “It wasn’t simply that they couldn’t recognize him.” In Matthew (28:17) and John (20:14; 21:4, 12), as here, people didn’t know the risen Jesus at once. “Jesus’ body, emerging from the tomb, had been transformed. It was the same, yet different—a mystery we shall perhaps never unravel until we ourselves share the same risen life.” * Do you long to share that risen life, even though parts of it are puzzling to us now? How does the promise of resurrection comfort you, even if you don’t yet fully understand it?
- Cleopas, like the other disciples, still held fixed ideas of what the Messiah would be and do (cf. Luke 9:44-45). He expected a political rescuer, not a suffering servant who would rise from death. When have you found greater joy and peace after letting God challenge or overturn some fixed assumption that made it harder for you to see God at work today? What made letting go difficult?
Prayer
Loving Lord, when I feel discouraged, disillusioned, or filled with doubt, please join me on the road. It is particularly at those times that I need your living, loving presence with me. Open my eyes to recognize you. Amen.
GPS Insights
Emily Stirewalt
Emily Stirewalt, who serves as Resurrection's Silverlink Pastor specializing in pastoral care of elderly adults, wrote today's Insights. She is an ordained Elder in the Missouri Annual Conference and has served since 2007. She is married to Randall, a special education teacher. They have two daughters, Elliott and Marlowe. Emily enjoys binge watching "Friends" or "Golden Girls."
I sang my first solo in church at five years old. It was “Away in a Manger,” a classic for little ones to sing. It was during a Christmas Pageant. The kid who was always in trouble tried to steal my microphone and my friend decked him into the choir loft. Quite a show.
I sang my next solo in second grade at the school holiday program–“Somewhere in my Memory” from Home Alone 2. I will never forget the crowd in that school gymnasium as those old metal-folding doors opened! I ended up with solo after solo, year after year. I considered a career as a music educator. I went to a university with a great music program but before I could get too involved in that work, I discovered the Wesley Student Center on campus, felt a call to ministry and never really looked back after discerning a call to ordained ministry at about twenty years old. However, I could still sing well. And the churches I was serving as a student intern and eventually a seminary student figured that out. Quickly. After all, I was singing all the hymns right along with them. But after all that discernment towards ordained ministry, I had a very strong reaction to the churches I served, always asking me to sing for them. I developed a response for each time I was asked: “I want to be your Pastor, not your little songbird.”
I was making a lot of assumptions, huh? I was missing the gift that God has given me in a beautiful singing voice and how it helped people worship God more fully. I jumped to the conclusion that the people I was in ministry with were seeing me as that little five-year-old girl on stage at my home church, ready to perform. Maybe they were simply wanting to draw closer to God through hearing my talent.
I guess you could say I have grown up a little bit. I have learned a lot, yielded to God’s grace in my life more. Turns out my favorite thing to do in the care homes we connect with in Silver Link is to sing for the residents. It is a blessing for both them and me. Letting go of those assumptions about what people were hearing and seeing when I shared my gift was hard because I wanted to be a Pastor so deeply. My call to ordained ministry is powerful. So is my singing voice. It is almost like Resurrection allows several things to be true all at once. Thanks be to God.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Wright, N. T., Luke for Everyone (New Testament for Everyone) (p. 295). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
